For our beloved mission partners, benefactors and friends. Wishing you all a blessed Christmas and a grace-filled new year.
VOCATION
(Email: cvpo2018@gmail.com Contact Number: (NCR)02-8532-3361; (Cagayan de Oro) 088-858-4425; 09177735005 / 09501837474)
We celebrated the feast day of St. Columban, the Society’s patron saint, with a Mass at the Our Lady of Remedies Parish in Malate
Gifts come in different shapes and forms. It is either something material or in the form of presence, deeds or gestures.
The French philosopher Alain Badiou says that, “love, the essence of which is fidelity to the meaning I give to this word, demon-strates how eternity can exist within the span of life itself.”
Fascinated by their crafting tradition, I worked with Subanens to form a project called Subanen Crafts. Each year, we create Christmas cards depicting the ordinary and thoughtful ways that Joseph and Mary cared for each other.
Rufus was a man with a mission to be one in friendship with people of all faiths and be a bridge between communities in conflict and families with feuds. He was a bridge builder and a peacemaker.
Dreaming to become a priest at that time without considering all the factors at play was foolish and ambitious. I can still remember my father’s desperate voice, telling me, “I cannot afford to send you to the seminary.” We had a small farm planted with sweet potato, ube, corn, cassava, taro and banana that only provides us little income.
Elbert, a newly ordained deacon of the Missionary Society of St Columban, from Oton, Iloilo, shares his reflection about his diaconate ordination experience at this time of pandemic.
In the morning of the same day, both Elbert and Jerry became permanent members of the Missionary Society of St. Columban. Congratulations! As we welcome them with joy and thanksgiving, we also continue to pray for them in the next stage of their missionary journey.
"In this article, however, I’d like to talk about the process, my intended symbolism and my short reflection on the mural that I painted on the entrance door of the Martyrs Chapel of Columban Formation House and Lay Mission Center in Seoul. The painting is entitled St. Peter and St. Paul’s Embrace of Peace."
In our quest for building one Christ-centered learning community, we need to consider the generational difference among us youth. There are other factors that challenge our Christ-centered youth ministry from flourishing.
The Philippines, an archipelagic country composed of 7,600 islands, breeds diversity in culture, language, tradition, and customs. Inevitably, such diversity could sometimes lead to misunderstandings, form a regionalism perspective, and disunity.
"It is hard to imagine how my life would be without the missionaries who came into the country. I am grateful because I am now harvesting the fruits of their labor. "
All Souls Day is a significant day in the Roman Catholic Calendar. It is a day of prayer and remembrance for the departed souls of our dear families and relatives and is usually observed withshared meals and visits to the cemeteries.
"When I prayed, I would often be reminded of Saint John of the Cross when he was imprisoned in a pitch-black cell for a long period of time. What gave him strength to survive was focusing on the tiny chink of light that came into his cell each day."
During a Columban seminary formation, the study of philosophy is followed by a spiritual year program. It is different. This is a non-academic year where there are no exams, and all throughout the period, the seminarian is especially guided by prayer. Mosese Yacalevu from Labasa, Fiji, shares his personal reflection of the thirty-day retreat that is considered the highlight in this part of seminary formation.
"In my journey of dialogue with other religions, I have embodied the insight that dialogue entails listening but I could only understand deeply by using my heart."
"The Novitiate Community of the Canossian Daughters of Charity, have been preparing and distributing cooked meals to the homeless."
Like in the time of Jesus, the lepers often feel abandoned by their family and excluded from the community. Due to the distance and the lack of money to defray travel expenses, a lot of them never get visitors.
"After hearing word that a lot of people within our community were losing jobs and going hungry, one of our parishioners wanted to start an 'Olla Comun' or soup kitchen, to help feed families who couldn’t afford to buy food."
A few of our Columban seminarians on formation in the Philippines provide a glimpse to their respective ministries.
"I feel and believe that the Spirit helped me to consider looking for congregations beyond my territory. It is the same Spirit who strengthens me and continues to lit my burning desire to serve."
“If there is a powerful symbol for someone who diligently follows, someone who completely puts his whole attention to someone or something and remains completely faithful no matter what the conditions may be, it is the sunflower."
As I reflected on the generosity of our Columban mission partners, I remembered the acts of kindness of two women I met during a pilgrimage walk that the Columban students made in 2012.
“In the world you will have trouble, but take courage, I have conquered the world.” (John 16:33)
"We feel that this is the best we can do at this difficult time. We want to let them know that they are not alone in facing this pandemic."
"If Christ is the center of our lives especially in our mission, we are able to find the hidden treasures in the field. It is only through the eyes of God that we are able to seek and find the lost."
When the entire island of Luzon in the Philippines was declared under community quarantine to control the spread of COVID-19, I was in my hometown — a small municipality in northern Luzon.
God’s presence often appears when we least we expect it. We see God in the eager face of a child who is still capable of smiling amidst his suffering. We encounter God who comes to us as a piece of bread in the mystery of the Mass, which we often ignore. We sometimes forget how to recognize the face of God, how to feel his presence. Despite all this, we should always remember that God is with us all the time.
The Columban Sisters in the Philippines celebrated their 80th Anniversary of missionary presence in the country on November 30, 2019 in San Juan, Metro Manila.
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